Tales of the Strange Along the Coast

[Theatrical, cheerful young Daoist girl x proud, aloof young general who says one thing and means another]

Everyone with any sense knows that General Qin, who fell from the clouds and was exiled to a seaside backwater where not even birds would leave droppings, had something to do with the strange world of mysticism and spirits.

As luck would have it, when Zhu Yuntang first met Qin Song, she was wearing a Daoist robe while heading down the mountain to exterminate demons.

They had disliked each other at first sight. But then they ran into a terrible year when six strange hexagrams brought calamity upon the world and demons ran rampant.

The two had no choice but to track down the evil spirits together, each wearing an even darker expression than the other.

Zhu Yuntang hated Qin Song's arrogance. So what if he came from a prominent family? So what if he'd won glorious victories in battle? He'd still been sent to her doorstep! It had to be because his sharp tongue had angered the old emperor. He probably wouldn't be going back to his gilded home for the rest of his life.

Qin Song, for his part, regarded the young Daoist girl with cold eyes. She was glib and silver-tongued, saying whatever suited whoever she was talking to, whether human or ghost. How could she possibly be content to keep to her place and stay free of ambition? He had to stay on guard around her at all times!

Three years later, at an inn on the northern frontier.

Qin Song asked her gently, "Atang, when will you let me come ask for your hand? I've asked three times now. You should say yes..."

[Reading Notes]

1. An adventure featuring a young man and woman, in the vein of traditional demon-hunting stories, with a touch of mystery.

2. A fictional setting inspired by the Ming dynasty, with original worldbuilding and an imaginary map. There's no need to scrutinize the details.

Theme: Good will prevail over evil. Do more good deeds.